Versión Español
EspañolThe town of Wichita Falls, Texas, has been forced to begin mixing water from toilets and showers with its reservoirs of drinking water. A severe drought has severely affected the region, and water reservoirs have been depleted to 25 percent capacity.
The local population has expressed its annoyance with the decision, but city officials say they were not left with many alternatives. The city’s mayor, Glenn Barham, said the recycled water will be available only after the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality certifies that the procedures implemented are enough to make the water suitable for human consumption.
To reach this quality level, the city has designed an intricate purification system. Authorities will first treat sewage water and send it to the Wichita River, where the currents will further clean it. From there, it goes to Lake Texoma, mixing with clean water from two reservoirs.
According to El País, similar purification systems were implemented in San Antonio and Dallas, where the final product was used to water golf courses, parks, and universities, but no city has before attempted an improved method to produce drinking water from sewage.
Source: El País.
